In the News

June 10, 2014 —
The South Carolina Legislature ended its two-year session on Thursday without voting on a bill (H 4223) that would prohibit most abortions beginning at 20 weeks of pregnancy, the Greenville News reports (Smith, Greenville News, 6/5).

Bill Details

A state Senate committee had advanced the legislation in April after adding exemptions for rape, incest, and fetal anomalies. Formerly, the only exception to the ban was to save a woman's life (Women's Health Policy Report, 5/2).

The bill was given priority status on the Senate calendar but was never debated and died when the session ended on Thursday (Greenville News, 6/5).

The bill also would have required a physician to try to deliver the fetus alive, estimate the age of the fetus and report the patient's age, her race and the method of abortion to the state.

Physicians who violated the ban could have faced civil charges of "unprofessional conduct." Those convicted of criminal charges could have faced up to three years in prison and penalties of up to $10,000 (Women's Health Policy Report, 5/2).

'Personhood' Question on Primary Ballot

In other South Carolina news, voters in the state's Republican primary on Tuesday will be asked whether the state constitution should be amended to guarantee rights "to both born and pre-born persons beginning at conception," the Charleston City Paper reports.

The non-binding ballot question is meant to "take the temperature of ... loyal primary voters" (Spence, Charleston City Paper, 6/6). The vote comes after two "personhood" measures introduced by state Sen. Lee Bright (R) failed this year after they did not meet a legislative deadline (Women's Health Policy Report, 5/5).

Video Round Up

An Interview with Justice Ginsburg on the State of Abortion Access

In a rare interview, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg tells MSNBC's Irin Carmon it is a "crying shame" that state abortion restrictions are making the procedure increasingly "[i]naccessible" to many low-income women. Watch the video

Datapoints

A Look at Abortion Coverage in the ACA's Marketplace Plans, Repro Health Report Card, More

This week's charts depict why abortion coverage is unavailable in many states' ACA marketplace plans for 2015. We also feature a national reproductive health report card and an interactive look at abortion restrictions in Missouri. Read more

At A Glance

"[Roe v. Wade] protects a woman's freedom to make her own choices about her body and her health, and reaffirms a fundamental American value: that government should not intrude in our most private and personal family matters."

— President Obama, commemorating the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Read more